I can't believe he is for she never wrote his character like that in the books so I don't really think he is gay but if she writes another book like the life and times of Albus Dumbledore then maybe I will feel that he is gay. But ether way I just don't really care. I don't think it's large newsworthy.
2007-10-25 07:44:18 · 22 answers · asked by missgigglebunny 7 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
It is a tempest now, mainly because DH is still going strong here (and I think is yet to be released in a lot of the foreign language editions) and because of the incredible amount of emotional energy fans have invested in Harry.
However, I don't think that JKR has an agenda, or is seeking more publicity. According to the story I read, she had told the writer of the screenplay for HBP that Dumbledore was gay because there was mention of a female love interest in the screenplay and she had to set them right. Having done that, she might as well have made it public, since it would have eventually come out anyway--she could control when and how it was done. and in any case, this story came out because she was directly asked if Dumbledore loved anyone.
Throughout the series, we know Dumbledore as a tireless and seemingly single-minded fighter against Dark Wizards (at least from Harry's perspective; we do have to remember that Albus is also a great teacher, an alchemist, and important theoretical Wizard--remember the tools and instruments he made himself). But how did Albus become that way?
We learn much about this in DH, with Arianna's story, Aberforth's story and the story of the friendship between Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald. In reading DH, it was clear that Grindelwald seduced Dumbledore on a number of levels; intellectually, ideologically, and, by JKR's new revelation, emotionally. We don't know if that seduction was sexual as well, and I'm not sure it is important for us to know.
The revelation completes the picture for us of a man who felt betrayed, injured by one he loved, ashamed at how far he went from rational thought and behavior, how far he really was from what he thought he was.
The up shot is that we now know more completely Dumbledore's motivations for fighting Dark Wizards--his shame at his own tangential contribution to Grindelwald's career, his reluctance to fight him, and, when Voldemort rose, his determination to not to repeat his prior mistake of inaction and to fight Voldemort from the start.
So in summery, It was part of the way JKR viewed Dumbledore and understood him. I don't think it was something that would have come out voluntarily--more likely something that would have made a scholarly article 50 or 60 years from now after she was gone and literary scholar had access to her full notes (assuming she left them to be investigated).
BTW, there is some inkling of this in DH, where Rita Skeeter talks about devoting a chapter in her book about Dumbledore to the Dumbledore/Harry relationship. This is not to say that there was anything improper--but that JKR did put out a hint.
wl
2007-10-25 09:12:07 · answer #1 · answered by WolverLini 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, it's JKR's world, and if SHE says that Dumbledore's gay, that pretty much settles the question and closes off any occasion to debate it.
Dumbledore's orientation is a shocker, no doubt. But it's interesting in that it explains several things about Dumbledore's past history with Grindelwald ... pardon me while I repeat myself again: :-)
- Why he and Grindelwald became friends so fast (Dumbledore had a crush on him)
- How Dumbledore got sucked into buying into Grindelwald's anti-Muggle teachings (Dumbledore was in love, and love tends to overlook the flaws of the beloved)
- Why Dumbledore took it so personally when Grindelwald went to the dark side (A betrayal by someone you love cuts deeper than a betrayal by a stranger)
- Why Dumbledore went to the extra trouble of defeating Grindelwald and leaving him alive, rather than killing him outright.
2007-10-25 14:59:07 · answer #2 · answered by Navigator 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I really couldn't care a damn.
Why is it all over the news when there a bigger things going on in the world like the current global economy crisis going on????
I am kinda annoyed at JK Rowling though because kids are reading this. My little cousin who is nearly seven asked me what they meant by Dumbledore being gay and he asked me what that was??
What would I say???? I told him to forget about it!
But that doesn't even change my attitude towards the series the slightest. i still hate the books with passion!
2007-10-25 14:58:27 · answer #3 · answered by Vampyr 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's newsworthy because she waited until AFTER the books had sold and she had made her billion dollars that she outed a character to millions of fans, young readers at that.
She played us and it's quite hypocritical of her.
Now all of sudden she says that she made it quite clear in the books that Dumbledore was gay. That is, if you read between the lines.
Well reading between the lines, Rita Skeeter implied that Dumbledore was a pedophile because his affections were inappropriate toward Harry.
Reading between the lines, Dumbledore's brother, Alberforth, was into bestiality with his goats and Hagrid also with his love for all of his magical creatures.
Reading between the lines, McGonagall, Snape, Mr. Filch and the lot of them who didn't married are all gays and lesbians.
Reading between the lines, not only did Dumbledore "love" Grindelwald but he also secretly loved Snape because of his deep trust for him.
And the list can go on and on and on.
2007-10-28 09:06:19 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Is she now? *Raises eyebrows* That kind of comes out of left field from where I'm standing. But really, I don't care much. When it comes to writing and books, I don't like a lot of infodumping that has nothing to do with the story. Dumbledore could stand on his head and it would make no difference to me.
2007-10-25 16:14:39 · answer #5 · answered by tkron31 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It definitely didn't matter to me... there seemed to be more newsworthy subjects than this. There were comments that the younger children would NOT understand. Well in Jr/Sr Pre-School you have 3-4-5 year olds call another child gay and they know what it means. So as in my real life, I don't care about anyone sexual preferance I just judge the person.
2007-10-25 14:48:53 · answer #6 · answered by bartlettthree 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
They are running out of news with Harry Potter, so this must be how they think is best to raise publicty. Rowling did not have anything to do with the publicity but answering a question in an interview, and no, I don't really care, but it was a bit of an interesting fact when I first heard of it.
2007-10-26 21:07:30 · answer #7 · answered by MTF 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The story of Harry Potter, the boy who lived, is a worldwide phenominom. of course one of the main characters turning out to be gay is largely newsworthy. if you dont care then thats your business. but remember, dont get too worked up over it. its just a make-believe story written by a women so she could feed her child in the beginning.
2007-10-26 06:04:51 · answer #8 · answered by [Pokerface. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think it matters who is gay and who is straight at all...especially if we're talking about fictional characters. My only issue with it is that the obnoxious religious whizbangs out there are gonna use that as ammunition for their argument that the Harry Potter books are bad.
2007-10-25 14:47:52 · answer #9 · answered by Tish 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't care, yes. But I do accept that Dumbledore is gay - in retrospect it actually makes sense.
2007-10-26 00:14:50 · answer #10 · answered by web_researcher 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋